After the Lights
by Sunlight Memory
Summary: AU. Even after five years, Terra - a famous fighter - was not able to get the girl out of his thoughts. However, Destiny wanted them to meet again. TerraxAqua. One-shot.


**Based on the lyric from Sweetbox' "After the Lights", so I recommend listening to the song while reading. The story is also based off on a video I made for the couple using the song. (If you would like to see it, search up "After the Lights - AquaxTerra" or click on the youtube-link found on my profile. **

**If you don't like AU with some things changed completely from the game, or TerraxAqua, this is probably not a story for you. **

**Sorry if the characters are very OOC. **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. Not the characters, nor the song used as inspiration. **

**~After the Lights~**

_The match had been a great success, leaving him victorious after only five minutes. A sign of his growing strength. _

_The crowd cheered after him as the young man left the battle-stage, abandoning the face they all knew. Brown, slight spiky, hair made soft moves as he walked down the corridor, carrying the huge key-shaped blade he used in the battles. The man was tall, dressed in the cloths for warriors from the group he fought for. The armour on his arm shined in the weak light lightening the corridor, made it look like pure gold. _

_He was lost in thoughts, wondering about how the battle could have turned out had he not done the things he had, wondering what kind of a girl his friends would find for him tonight. They always found someone they thought would be good enough for him, not letting the young man choose for himself. Would tonight be any different? _

_The young man took a turn to the left, heading toward his private room for the night. However, he stopped once the man laid his eyes on the young woman standing below a pair of huge stairs to the ground-floor. Short, blue hair cut in a typical fighting-style – short so it wouldn't be in the way during a battle – shined in the light. She wore a dark-blue-blackish top with matching shorts and socks. White half-arms covered her hands, while two pieces of a long, blue skirt hung on each side of her legs. _

_By the way she moved her head from side to side; he could tell she was trying to figure out where to go. Was this the girl his friends had found? Then he could at least go do to her. _

_In just a couple of minutes, he had reached the end of the stair, standing face to face with the young woman, their blue eyes digging into the others. _

"_May I help you?" he asked polite, drinking in every sight of this strange female. She sent him a soft smile, melting away every feeling beside a warm, fussy one resting in his stomach. From somewhere outside his body, the young man could feel his breath stop, disappearing into the weak light surrounding them._

"_I'm looking for a man; the leader of the group of warriors fighting later today. Do you know where to find him?" she answered, still with an honest smile on her lips. _

_The man thought her question over, not sure which man she spoke of. There were many groups fighting later, after all. _

"_No, I'm sorry." Her smile shined toward him, didn't fade away as his answer broke all her dreams of finding this man she wanted to meet, and for a reason unknown to him, he wanted to keep that smile on her lips forever. _

"_That's okay. I will find him sooner or later." That made sense; if she stayed around here long enough, he was bound to pass her by sometime. _

*~^:^~*

His sword was tossed down into the earth, giving him something to hang on to as strength finally returned to his bones after a rather intense battle. He had been near loosing, but had made his way through during the final seconds. Someone had pointed the lights right at him, making everyone on the sidelines able to see the new champion of the tournament. Screams filled the air, surrounding him on every side. Screaming his name over and over, slowing fading into a voice he hadn't heard in years. A soft voice still haunting his dreams, his reality.

*~^:^~*

_Soft, blue eyes stared into battle-weary ones. The young woman just kept smiling, didn't turn around to leave, nor walk pass him up the stairs. _

_Almost like she was hiding a secret from him, a secret he desperately wanted to know. _

"_There's a lovely sky filled with stars outside this very moment," her voice made its way into his heart, didn't stop by to let him hear the words she said. Yet somehow he figured out what she wanted to say. _

"_I know about a cliff not far from here, perfect for sky-watching," now it was his turn to give her a smile as he finished his sentence, hoping she would follow him to the very place he spoke of. She wasn't like the other girls he had met during his time as a famous battler. This one was special, had already carved out and kidnapped a part of his heart. _

*~^:^~*

Usually after a battle, he would stare from side to side, grinning to all who had come to watch him fight. This time, his eyes were locked on the sky above, far away from the world around him.

"Come on, Terra!" one of his friends appeared at his side, a huge smile covering his lips as he started to drag the other man off the stage.

"Don't tell me you still think about. . ." his heart skipped a beat.

*~^:^~*

"_. . . Aqua," her beautiful smile shined to him as her name escaped from pink lips. _

_Somehow, it fitted her. _

_Water._

*~^:^~*

Blue eyes opened widely, staring at the roof above. He could hardly see it in the darkness, yet he knew exactly what it looked like, which colour it held.

It was the very same room he – all those years ago – had shared with the girl of his dreams for a month.

"Aqua." The girl he had let go. Lost because of his own stupid mistakes.

A painful sting in his heart made him once again remember just how precious she had been.

*~^:^~*

"_I'm sure the man you want to see will show up soon," Terra said as he walked away from the young woman, leaving her at the stairs all alone._

_The man was hurt. He had told her about the cliff, yet she had not said a word. _

_Light steps told him she moved, most likely up the stairs. _

"_What about the sky?" her soft voice asked as she came up beside him, abandoning her change of meeting the person she had come there for. _

*~^:^~*

He turned on the lights beside the bed, filling his world with fake sunlight. If he saw out of the window, he would see the very cliff where they had spent their first night together, watching the dark sky and stars above.

Her beautiful blue hair, charming eyes. Her smell. Her voice. He could picture it all perfectly, even after five long years. No girl had ever made such an impact on him, capturing his heart in one smile. She had been special, just what he wanted.

As he moved around on the bed, a book he had been reading fell to the floor. Terra reached down for it, and as he moved the book back up, something hard fell out. An orange, starshaped necklace, made out of glass and silver.

*~^:^~*

_Aqua sat down on the cliff, her feet hanging out over the small world below. Her head was turned toward him, ginning as he spoke about how all stars were a different world. Her laugher rang through the fresh night air, bringing happiness to them both. _

_Terra enjoyed every moment he spent with her, his insides jumping around while he told her everything he knew about the worlds above. _

_The young man had fought in tournaments all over the universe, the unbeaten champion. _

_She rose from her seat and lifted her hand, held up a blue-coloured, starshaped necklace. _

"_These types of necklace are from the other worlds. They are said to bring good luck and tie friends together," the young woman told him, a smile resting over her lips. _

"_Maybe I can make one for you too, Terra."_

*~^:^~*

Another battle fought and won, leaving the spotlight to track him down once more. The tournament for the title "World Champion" was something all good fighters wanted to win, the first tournament he finally had begun to enjoy since Aqua. If he could win the entire thing, he could finally get her off him mind. Out of his thoughts for good.

Yet, her voice still made its way into his head as he stood in the spotlight.

"_I wish we could stay together for some time."_

Somehow, his team had made it up on the stage, cheered as they circled him.

"Our group is going to become world champions!" one of them cried out, waving his hands childlike in the air.

"If you win the next battle, you will be in the semi-finals! So, if you get problems, just think of that girl you liked so much. . . What was her name again?" the young man stopped walking, trapped in memories of the past.

*~^:^~*

"_This is Aqua," he would say if they met his friends. _

"_My girl," the pride in his voice would tell everyone to stay away from her if they liked staying alive. _

_She had changed his world, had made the fighting seem pointless. Yet he couldn't stop doing so, since it was the only thing he had to bring in money. He stopped being serious with the battles, could lose one or two. _

_It was then his boss told him if he won one more tournament, he would be free to go and spend the rest of his life with the girl of his dreams. The option was one he would risk his very life for. One more champion-title, and he could ask Aqua to stay with him forever. _

_So he had called her out on the beach near the hotel they stayed at to tell her the news. _

"_I have to take on a new tournament," his eyes beamed of love as he watched the beauty in front of him. Her back was the only thing he could see, yet her face was familiar and known to him. _

"_I know," she said as the sun sank into the sea, "so I made you this," the young woman turned around, holding out a second star-shaped necklace. Orange instead of blue. He took it with a grateful smile, putting into the safest pocket he had. _

"_But Terra? Promise you will come back, okay?" he gave her a quick kiss on the lips before walking away, leaving the young woman to herself. _

*~^:^~*

Now that he thought about it, he hadn't even promised her he would get back, only given her the kiss. No wonder she had been far gone when he returned.

"The semi-finals are about to begin! You don't want to miss your big chance to reach the final, do you, Terra?" one of the team-mates joked as they walked toward the arena, speeding up their steps by every passing minute.

"Who is he going to fight this time?" someone asked, curious on what kind of a battle he could expect from their very own champion. The one who always kept control of the group's battles checked the pages he had received before they left the hotel.

"Some girl, I'm not sure what her name is. But for the record, she sounds pretty strong. Maybe this is the kind of battle you need, Terra?" several smiles filled with strong beliefs met him as he looked at his companions. Their trust would always be there, resting on his list of titles received over the years. Maybe they trusted him too much?

*~^:^~*

Once he got up on stage, his eyes searched the other side of his opponent. The sun blinded him, making it hard to see anything else than the shape of the person he was supposed to fight.

"Fighters, cross the stage to the other side!" the usual opening of a battle, making the two opponents see each other before they fought.

The young man started to follow orders with steady steps, walking toward the middle of the arena. However, he almost stopped as his eyes came to rest on a growing shadow of blue hair and familiar eyes. _Aqua_. There she was, the girl of his dreams. The girl of his past. His opponent.

It only took a couple of minutes to pass her by, yet he was able to see her shocked face of meeting him again, the obvious sting piercing through her heart, and the wedding ring resting on her hand.

His heart broke into one million pieces. He had truly lost her. Not only for five years, but to another man. In those minutes, he could feel his world fell apart.

"Get ready!" Terra turned around, ready to fight the love of his life. Aqua's blue eyes stared into his, once again capturing every part of him. It was an ability only this special woman held when it came to the young man, and an ability she knew how to use.

"Fight!"

Sliver-coloured sparkles flew all over the stage as their key-shaped blades met, colliding just like their masters lives had done so many years earlier. Unexpected, yet meant to happen. He could feel her breath against his face, her mouth hardly more than ten centimetres away from his own. Soft lips with a small taste of cherry. The young man could still feel the sweet aroma of her perfume, picture her for his very eyes as she cooked. Every single thing she had done, had said during their months together. The very definition of Heaven and Love.

Terra took a step to the right, removed his blade from crossing hers. The young woman twisted around, ready for another round as he lifted the blade. She moved out of the way just in time, striking in an attack of her own as well. The young man avoided it, joined her in the circle as they danced around each other. Battle was a dance she obviously had grown familiar with, just like him.

He glared at her, trying to find a weak-point in her movement. However, the woman seemed lost in thoughts, not really caring about the very battle they fought.

While muttering a wish for forgiveness, he brought the only woman he had ever loved to the ground, pointing his blade at her throat. She was out of the battle, leaving him victorious and in the final. Yet he couldn't get off his mind the lost look on her face.

*~^:^~*

After the battle, the young man walked straight toward the corridor holding all the rooms used by battlers. He knew who he looked for, yet had no idea where she stayed.

However, the princess of his heart stood at almost the same spot where they had first met all those years ago. The only different was that she now stood at the very top of the stairs, not at the bottom.

Aqua turned around as he walked closer, her face still filled with thoughts and shock. Had she not expected him to be in the competition?

"You're a good battler. I would probably have lost if you hadn't been so far gone in thoughts," he said, hoping she would join in a friendly conversation between old friends.

"I see why they call you the champion," a small smile played over her lips, and warm beams melted parts of the frozen heart he carried.

"You're married now. What's the lucky man's name?" a pained look covered her face for a second, hardly visible, before it disappeared and replaced with a sad smile.

"He's not with us anymore." Dead, leaving such a wonderful and young widow.

"Why did you leave?" the words left his mouth before he could stop them, and her cold stare told him it was the wrong question to ask, yet she still opened her mouth to answer it.

"I left for a short job since I didn't expect you to be back so soon, and when I came home again, you were sleeping with another girl," so she hadn't left. But he, in his misery over losing the one true love in his life, had spent the night with every girl his friends chose just to get her off his mind.

"A misunderstand," he muttered, almost laughing of destiny's evil play, "it was all just a misunderstanding." Yet he did not explain. The past was probably better off the way it was, they couldn't change it anyway.

"Mum!" a shadow of blond, white and black moved past him in a hurry, throwing small arms around the woman's waist. A young boy, hardly old enough for school. Spiky, blond hair stood to all sides, giving the boy an even more childish look than he already had.

Her husband had not only left a young widow, but also a fatherless child. What a cruel universe they had taken a living in.

Aqua knelt in front of the young boy, smiling as she put a hand on his head, ruffling the spikes.

"Let's go, Ven, we still have one more battle to see," she said, smiling brightly to her little boy, before blue eyes met similar once.

"Good luck. We will cheer for you from the sidelines," and her smile told him the past was forgotten and buried, left to disappear from both hearts.

The two walked past him, and as Terra smiled down to the little boy, his eyes landed on a Wayfinder resting the boy's hand, green in colour, yet similar to Aqua's and his own. His stare moved to the boy's face, and shock ran through him, made the man turn around and stare after the two as they walked down the corridor.

Those blue eyes. . . He saw them each time he looked in something that gave off reflection. The very same eyes his own face wore.

How old was the boy? He couldn't be more than five. Five. The same among of years which had passed since he last saw the boy's mother.

He lifted the orange Wayfinder out of his pocket, held it up in the weak light running through the corridor.

And so, Terra walked toward his final battle.

*~^:^~*

"Mum?" Aqua looked down at the sound of her little boy's voice.

"Yes, sweetie?" Terra's eyes shined up at her, matching perfectly with the blond hair he had inherited from her father's side. Her own blue hair came from her mother's, the blond part skipping her generation.

"Who was that man?"

Blue eyes were watching the floor, not really seeing anything of it.

"I will tell when you get older." _Your father. My only true love. _Still_ my true love. _

The young woman took the child's hand and leaded him down the corridor.

Maybe all three of them could be together once all of this was over? Aqua wished they could, yet deep down she knew it was impossible.

*~^:^~*

**A/N: Hope you all enjoyed it^^ It might seem a bit weird, but. . . **

**And before anyone comments it; I know very well that Ven is not their child, he just fitted in the video I made, and then the story. =) **


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